Frozen In Time
by Pathfinder
Summary: The Ronins are frozen in blocks of ice for over 900 years (including a resurrected Anubis). Now they must help Karissa, the current staff bearer save the world from Shogun. But what connection does the current Staff bearer have to Rowen?
1. So It Begins

1 Frozen in Time  
  
By Pathfinder  
  
Episode One: So It Begins  
  
  
  
The evil force walked through what was left of the evil Dynasty. "Talpa was such a petty fool! He should have known better than to underestimate those children, the Ronin Warriors. But that leaves me eligible to take over in his place," he said to himself. "But first, Kayura and the ex-Warlords must be dealt with."  
  
He peered at the space that was Talpa's castle. The Ronins had destroyed it, and there was very little left. No bother. He could very easily regenerate it to his liking. Then, the bearers of the Nine Mystical Armors would pay very, very dearly.  
  
"Kayura, are you sure this will work?" asked Cale. He looked unsure as the four of them stood before the altar at the Temple of Resurrection. Dais was looking awkwardly at the altar as Sehkment and his favorite pet snake, Mr. Bigglesworth, coiled around his waist and part of his neck.  
  
"Of course I'm sure it'll work! It'll make things around here, especially with cleaning things up and my ability to control the staff," said Kayura. She sighed and placed the Staff before the altar. "Altar of Resurrection, bring back the previous bearer of this Magic Staff! Anubis, ARISE!" she cried. The temple was filled with light, which Dais shielded Cale from, knowing that the light would harm his comrade turned friend. Sehkment squinted to see a human body form the altar, but was it really Anubis? And if so, was he really alive?  
  
The light died and Kayura turned away, knowing that if it worked, Anubis wasn't dressed for the occasion. Sehkment walked over to the altar to see his former leaders' solemn expression on his face. Long, silky auburn hair fell at his shoulders. But was he alive. Sehkment placed a hand over his nose. Dais and Cale held their breaths. Sehkment smiled.  
  
"He's breathing," he said. "I can feel his breath." Cale and Dais breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
"Is he gonna wake up or what?" asked Dais.  
  
Anubis' eyes twitched slightly. "Mmm," he said, shifting positions slightly. His blue eyes fluttered open and sat up, looking around. "Wh, where am I?" he asked. 'The last thing I remember is falling off the bridge, but how'd I get here?"  
  
"You died and Kayura resurrected you," said Cale. "Are you okay? Would you like some clothes?"  
  
That was when Anubis realized what his current, clothing, situation was. "Armor orbe, Kayura?" asked Dais. Kayura tossed over the armor orbe and Anubis happily transformed into his subarmor. He flexed his arms in the familiar smoky-blue subarmor.  
  
"But, why?" asked Anubis. "Why did you-"  
  
"We missed you, Kayura's not good at making us behave, and we need the help in cleaning up the Nether Realm. The Ronins blew it to pieces when they defeated Talpa, but they still have a chance at living life normally, so we're going to do it. Besides, we deserve it," said Sehkment. "We've killed, kidnapped, tortured, stolen, ,arson, assault and battery, assault WITH a battery, j-walked, and committed other crimes throughout our four hundred years in the Dynasty."  
  
"Well, I suppose so," said Anubis. "Kayura, I am clothed, now."  
  
"Thank you for telling me, Anubis," said Kayura, turning around. She smiled to see the man who had saved her from Badamon's possession and gave him a hug. Anubis blinked in surprise, but returned the hug. Sehkment promptly stuck his finger down his throat and began to make gagging sounds as Dais snapped a picture, handed the camera off to Cale, who in return ran as fast as his two feet would carry him, Kayura and Anubis hot on his tail.  
  
After wrenching the camera from Cale's possession, the five former Warlords began to. . . um, gee, who do five bored Warlords do in their spare time?  
  
"I'm bored, I'm bored, I'm bored," Dais said repeatedly. Cale was throwing a baseball into the air and catching it, Sehkment was playing with Mr. Bigglesworth, Anubis was meditating, and Kayura was taking various pictures of the Warlords being bored.  
  
"I got it!" said Cale suddenly, causing everyone to jump. "Why don't' we go and bother the Ronins?"  
  
"But they're our friends now," said Sehkment. "Even that little excuse for a fish-"  
  
"SEHKMENT! We all agreed that we would not make fun of our adversaries. Even Kento," said Dais. Sehkment stuck his tongue out and began to daydream about humiliating the youngest of the Ronins.  
  
"Friends are supposed to tease each other! I'm seen Torrent and Hardrock go at it a few times myself," said Cale. "So let's go and say hi. Besides, they'd probably be glad to see Anubis, anyways."  
  
Anubis looked up. "Huh? Oh, right, I died."  
  
"Fine, I'd like to say hi to Rowen anyways," said Kayura.  
  
Sehkment smirked. "Only because you like-like him," he teased.  
  
"Do not!"  
  
"Do too!"  
  
"Do not!"  
  
"Do too!"  
  
"All right, all right!" said Kayura. "I really do like him. My sketch book is full of pictures of him, okay? But if ANY of you even breath a word about it to him than see this Magic Staff?" she said, pointing to the Staff of the Ancients. The Warlords nodded. "I bet it would be interesting to see how far up your butts it could possibly go."  
  
"But that's disrespect to the staff!" said Anubis.  
  
Kayura looked thoughtful. "Okay, instead, I'll hang you on a flag pole by your boxers."  
  
"Okay, we'll behave," they said in unison, their fingers crossed behind their backs. They were REALLY good at this, considering how many times they'd done it to the big floating head.  
  
"Nice pad," said Sehkment as they walked up to Mia's mansion. "Very nice." All five wore "civvies" (Anubis- white T-shirt, jeans, and black open vest. Cale- black T-shirt with a picture of Storm from X-Men, black leather jacket, black jeans, for those who care, no black nail polish. Sehkment- green turtleneck and jeans. Dais- white T-shirt with Spider-man on under denim overalls. Kayura- pink baby-doll T-shirt and hip-hugging bellbottom jeans.). The five walked up to the door to see the door and a strange little black button next to the door.  
  
"What's this?" asked Cale, pressing the button.  
  
Nothing happened.  
  
"Maybe you have to press it again," said Dais. Cale began to repeatedly press the button as the other Warlords watched in awe, except for Anubis, who knew it was a doorbell, but no one listened to him. They were too busy playing with the doorbell.  
  
"Um, you can stop pressing the doorbell- Warlords?!" The warlords turned to see Ryo standing in the frame of the door wearing a white-shirt with a red symbol on it and a pair of plaid shorts.  
  
"Oh, hello, Wildfire, what is this little button?" asked Cale.  
  
"It's a doorbell, you idiot," said Anubis. "You press it once and a tone is heard inside the house so someone can go and answer the door."  
  
"Oh, so THAT'S why it didn't do anything!" said Sehkment.  
  
"Why are you guys here- wait, didn't you die or something?" asked Ryo.  
  
"We resurrected him out of boredom and the need of a helping hand," said Kayura. "Any ways, we're still bored, so we thought we'd stop buy and say hello."  
  
Ryo shrugged. "Come on in. Kento and Rowen are still asleep, but Kento will be up soon. Rowen, well, if you want to see him plan on staying until well past noon," said Ryo sheepishly.  
  
"Ryo, who's at the door?" came the voice of the woman that the Warlords knew as "bait". Or, Mia Koji. The young woman came to the door. "Anubis. . .is. . . alive. . .(thud)".  
  
"Ah! Anubis, you've killed her!" said Cale, slapping Anubis across the face.  
  
"Nah, she's just fainted," said Ryo. Just then, Cye came over to see what was going on.  
  
"Anubis, you're alive? But you. . . died. . .(thud)".  
  
"Yay!" said Sehkment.  
  
"That was mean!" said Kayura, and kneed Sehkment you-know-where.  
  
"AHH!" Sehkment screamed, grabbing himself and falling to the ground, eyes crossed and mouth open.  
  
Dais knelt down next to the fallen Torrent. "Is he okay?"  
  
"He just fainted like Mia did. Cye's our sensitive one," Ryo said.  
  
"Hey, cool, the Warlords used the Staff to Bring Anubis back to life!" The Warlords looked up to see, surprisingly enough, Kento.  
  
Cale blinked. "You actually figured that out?"  
  
"Well, you guys wouldn't bring a ghost here unless you were still mad at us for all those times we kicked your butts," said Kento, shrugging. "So you're all bored or something?"  
  
"Did he suddenly get smarter?" asked Dais, not understanding how his old adversary had suddenly gotten so much more intelligent than the stupid muscle-head he used to pick his fights with.  
  
Kento frowned. "No, I'm only cocky and bull-headed when there's trouble, or, if there's food to be fought over."  
  
"Why am I not surprised?" said Kayura, rolling her eyes as she helped revive Mia. Mia opened her eyes.  
  
"What happened?" she asked.  
  
"You and Torrent fainted when you found out that I was alive," said Anubis, helping Mia to her feet. She looked over at the suffering Sehkment. "He made a rude comment when Torrent fainted and Kayura kneed him."  
  
"Ouch," said Kento. He picked up Cye and slung him over his shoulder just as Cye was waking up.  
  
"Wha," asked Cye rather sleepily.  
  
"First, I'm going to drop you in a tub of cold water, then you're gonna have to make more breakfast since we have an additional five mouths to feed," said Kento, hauling his best friend outside to the carp pond.  
  
"KENTO! PUT ME DOWN! NO, THAT'S OKAY, I'M AWAKE-"  
  
SPLASH!  
  
"Looks like someone got a rude awakening," said a chuckling voice. Sage stood casually in the doorframe, arms crossed and hair flopping into his eye. The Warriors of Darkness and Light shot each other dirty looks. Kayura then shot them killer looks, getting a gulp from each of them.  
  
"You know, I'm sure we could all learn to actually LIKE our adversaries," said Dais. "So Kento called me Pinky for a while, he appears to have a good sense of humor."  
  
A very wet and very angry looking Cye came back into the room. "What would you like?" he asked, trying to be cheerful.  
  
"I thought you liked the water," said Kayura.  
  
"I do," said Cye, "I just don't like getting thrown into it. So, is there anything you'd like? Waffles, pancakes, omelets-"  
  
"Donuts?" asked Sehkment hopefully as he stood back up.  
  
Cye closed his eyes. "Nope. Sorry. I can get you bagels-"  
  
"What are bagels?" asked Sehkment.  
  
"They look like donuts but they don't taste-"  
  
"Bagels!"  
  
"Sehkment would you please-"  
  
"Can I have a bagel?"  
  
"Are you interrupting me on-"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"No bagel."  
  
"Fine! I'll shut up," said Sehkment, looking defeated. Cye smiled cutely as he went into the kitchen, but before he did he peeled off his wet shirt.  
  
Sometime around noon, Kayura decided to go exploring in the house. She found the living room, dinning room, kitchen, den, and basement not terribly appealing. So, she went upstairs.  
  
The first room she looked into consisted of a neat bed, green carpeting, and several martial arts trophies. A bed with green sheets was neatly made. A bookshelf was in the corner with a few reference books, novels, and several little black books with strange combinations of numbers and girl's names. "Sage's room," said Kayura, noting that his room was just as neat and almost identical in setup to Cale's room.  
  
The next room was a pale blue in color with several marine life posters and another shelf. This one consisted of books with strange text she didn't understand and several cookbooks. A stuffed whale sat on the pale blue bed. "Cye's room," she said. The bearer of Torrent was less obsessive with the animals that went with his element that Sehkment, whose room was crawling with poisonous animals.  
  
The third room was fairly plain with soccer posters, a LARGE cat bed, very large and destroyed looking chew toys, and a few sports trophies. "Ryo's room," said Kayura. Who else would have chew toys in their room or a large cat bed? White Blaze obviously shared with his master.  
  
The following room was a disaster area. Empty food containers and video games lay strewn along the floor. "Kento, you are a pig." She decided it would be safer to stay as far away as humanly possible from that room. How could he LIVE in that dump? It smelled funny.  
  
The next room had a smaller bed. A few electronic cars were lined up neatly along the sides of the hardwood floor, their remotes close by. A box of action figures lay in the corner next to the bed, which was covered by Dragon Ball GT sheets. "Yuli," said Kayura. It looked a lot like Dais' room, only his sheets were of Spiderman.  
  
The sixth room she visited had pink walls and floral bedding. A computer was in one corner, the Jewel of Life hanging on a plaque next to it. Its string had been repaired and it looked fairly nice. "Mia's room," she said.  
  
The next room she visited consisted of a toilet, a sink, and a shower. "The bathroom."  
  
The last room she peeked into was her favorite. The walls were a deep blue in color, but the ceiling was painted black with glow in the dark stars pasted the ceiling. An entire wall was filled with books on several sciences that she had never heard off. A telescope stood next to the window, looking like it had been well used. But what puzzled her was the moving lump in the bed. Kayura cautiously walked over to it. What is this strange thing? She wondered. Kayura poked the mass.  
  
"Mmm. . . go away."  
  
"It talked!" hissed Kayura. Her heart was beating faster than it had ever had before. She was SCARED. The mass readjusted itself, then continued its soft and steady rising and falling.  
  
She poked it again. Nothing happened. Poked it again. Nothing. Pulled the mass off the bed. "AHHHH!"  
  
"AHHHH!" screamed Kayura. She transformed into the Ancient's robes and smacked the lump with her Staff.  
  
"Ow! Ow! Who's doing that! I'm up, I'm up!" Suddenly, Kayura recognized the voice.  
  
"Rowen?" she asked.  
  
A familiar blue-haired head poked out of the covers. "Kayura?! What are you doing in my room!"  
  
"Um, I was investigating," she said.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because I got bored and the Warlords are becoming addicted to Playstation," she said. "Kento showed them that monstrosity."  
  
"That doesn't mean you snoop around and give peaceful sleepers heart attacks," he said, looking up at the clock. "Noon? Ah well. Now's as a good as ever a time to get up."  
  
"Oh, do you want me to leave so you can get dressed?" asked Kayura.  
  
"Nah, I've got a pair of shorts on if you want to talk," said Rowen, sitting up. He patted down on the sheets next to him. Kayura sat down. "So, what's new?"  
  
"Anubis was resurrected from the dead and has his old armor back," said Kayura.  
  
"Really? He's alive again? I didn't know you could do that," said Rowen.  
  
"We got bored and needed help," said Kayura. It felt awkward speaking to her crush this way, but she did want to talk with him. "So, what's new with you?"  
  
"Nothin' much," said Rowen. "So you guys just pop over for a visit?"  
  
"Basically," said Kayura.  
  
"Uh, Kayura?"  
  
"Yes, Rowen?"  
  
"You're rubbing my thigh."  
  
"Oh!" said Kayura, suddenly becoming aware of the subconscious action. She blushed and turned away. "I'm terribly sorry, I should leave."  
  
Rowen stood up. "You don't have to leave," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. Kayura turned around, smiled, and kissed him.  
  
"Hey, Kento?" asked Dais as they watched Cye and Sehkment battle it off as Scorpion and Sub Zero in Mortal Kombat.  
  
"Yeah, Dais?"  
  
"Two questions. First of all, where is Lady Kayura, and does why does Rowen always sleep so late?"  
  
"I don't know and low blood pressure," said Kento. "He'll be downstairs shortly. I think." 


	2. The Plot Begins

Frozen in Time  
  
By Pathfinder  
  
1 Episode Two: The Plot Begins  
  
The evil force glared at the new Dynasty he had created. He had turned it into an industrial factory of sorts, churning out soldiers by the thousands. Talpa NEVER had THIS many minions. Now, what about Warlords and Nether Spirits? Warlords were unreliable and could commit treason. Nether Spirits, now THOSE were loyal. What about Nether Warlords?  
  
The evil force used his computer technology to hunt down the remains of Lord Badamon, Talpa's old advisor. He saw that Badamon's spirit had split into nine different Nether Spirits, but weak Nether Spirits. He'd have to recharge them. But first, he had to go and get them. That was easy enough. He snapped his fingers and a cauldron appeared. "Bring me the Nine Badamon offspring," he commanded. The Nine Badamons flew out of the pot and lined up in a neat row.  
  
"Yes, Master?" asked the Nine in unison. Uh oh. They were still a whole unit mentally.  
  
"I am going to separate the nine of you into nine separate minds and reinstate your powers," he said, then, he set to work.  
  
Over the next few days at Mia's mansion, everyone noticed that Kayura and Rowen were almost, flirting. "I've never seen Ro like this before," said Sage. "Flirting is supposed to be MY department!"  
  
"Oh, well, we know something you don't know," said the Warlords in singsong unison. "We know something you don't know, we know someth-"  
  
"SHUT UP!!!!!!!" said Kento. "Just, tell us what it is."  
  
"Kayura has a crush on Rowen," said Dais.  
  
Ryo rolled his eyes. "Tell me something I DON'T know," he said.  
  
"Eh?" asked Cale.  
  
"I noticed that when they fought, they always used remarks that could've been romantic if they weren't in the situation they were in. Like, Rowen was in one of his bubbles and falling towards Kayura, so he said, 'Looks like I'm falling for you Kayura!' Plus she seemed to like picking on him more than she did me," said Ryo.  
  
"Oh," said Sehkment. "Anubis, why didn't you know that?"  
  
"I wasn't there," he said. "I was busy killing Gash."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Can you say something other than 'oh'?"  
  
"Oh."  
  
"You're just doing this to get me mad at this point, Sehkment."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Shut up."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Shut up."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Shut up."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Shut up."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Shut up."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Shut up."  
  
"Oh- OW!" Anubis smacked the offending Ronin of Cobra across the face.  
  
"There, now shove it," said Anubis. Sehkment just hid behind Cye (Of whom he'd become good friends with since he discovered that his former adversary was a wizard in the kitchen) and whimpered.  
  
"Help me," he mewed.  
  
"Okay, now, Badamon, Huey, Dewey, Louie, Abbot, Costello, Alvin, Simon, Theodore, prepare to launch your attack on the Ronin Warriors!" said the evil force.  
  
The Nine Nether Warlords looked the evil blankly. "Why?" asked Theodore.  
  
"Because they are our enemies," said the evil force.  
  
"But maybe they're nice?" suggested Abbot.  
  
"You will attack the Ronins," said the evil, "or else in the name Shogun, Master of the Evil Dynasty, you will all perish!"  
  
"Good enough reason for me!" they answered in unison, then they all split. Shogun rolled his eyes and sat at his computer to pass the time, so he decided to play solitaire with little Pikachus on the cards. Then he just sat there and watched as his Powerpuff Girls and ReBoot desktop theme's screen saver went on, kicking the Ronins and Warlord out of their Toonami time slot (Authors' Notes: Ah, political license)  
  
It came to the point where the Warlords and Kayura had been staying at Mia's house for a full two weeks. The Warlords began to get concerned when Kayura began to look a little on the green side every morning, right before she would run into the bathroom to throw up. "Is she all right?" asked Cye.  
  
"I hope so, I've never seen her like this," said Dais. "I'm starting to get worried, what if she's really sick?"  
  
"Aw, come on, it's Lady Kayura we're not talking about, she can handle anything they throw at her!" said Rowen.  
  
"Why are you suddenly sticking up for her?" asked Sehkment.  
  
"Uh, no reason," said Rowen, blushing as red as a cherry and sinking into his seat. Strangely, he was up before nine and was around for breakfast and Kayura's latest morning sickness.  
  
"You know something," said Anubis, standing up and pointing a finger at the blue clad Ronin.  
  
Rowen gulped, loosening the collar of his T-shirt. "Wh, what do you mean, Anubis? What makes you think I know something?"  
  
"That," said Anubis, "for one, and the fact that you're as red as a cherry."  
  
"How much better have you gotten to know Lady Kayura over these past two weeks?" asked Sehkment, right before Cye slapped him.  
  
"Knock it off! This is Rowen we're talking about, not Sage!" said the youngest Ronin. This got a laugh out of everyone, except for Sage and Rowen, who turned red, or, redder.  
  
"I resent that comment! I'm a flirt, not a horn-dog!" said Sage.  
  
"You're a virgin?" asked Cale, wide eyed.  
  
"And your problem with that is?" asked Sage. Cale started to laugh. "What? It's a religious practice." Cale shut up.  
  
"Cale takes religious beliefs very seriously," said Dais. "I'm not surprised he shut up as quick as he did."  
  
Kayura came downstairs looking a bit worried. "Kayura, what's wrong?" asked Rowen.  
  
"Rowen, I-"  
  
BOOM!  
  
"What was that?!" asked Kento.  
  
"Tell me later," said Rowen as he tried to dash out to join the others. Kayura grabbed his shoulder.  
  
"No, this is important," she said. "Rowen, I- just be careful and come back to me, please?"  
  
"I will, and if I can't, I love you," said Rowen. Kayura nodded and kissed him sweetly before he dashed out to join the others. Kayura looked at him forlornly, laying a hand against her stomach. She closed her eyes and tried to summon her old Starlight Swords.  
  
They wouldn't come to her.  
  
"Then Mia's suspicion was correct," said Kayura.  
  
  
  
Ryo stood in full armor before the nine. . . things, that were floating before them. "Who or what are you? And why do you all look like Badamon?"  
  
The one in red floated over to the leader of the Ronin Warriors. "We are the Nine Nether Warlords. We are here to destroy you. We look like Badamon because we are his remains. I am Badamon!"  
  
"Huey!" said the one in light blue.  
  
"Dewey!" said the one in black.  
  
"Louie!" said the one in tan.  
  
"Abbot!" said the one in purple.  
  
"Costello!" said the one in dark green.  
  
"Alvin!" said the one in the light green.  
  
"Simon!" said the one in dark blue.  
  
"Theodore!" said the one in orange.  
  
"Uh, how about if we destroy you first?" said Kento, preparing one of his Iron Rock Crushers. Theodore laughed and lifted him up and began to fly away with him. The other Nether Spirits followed him.  
  
"Hey! Come back here with him!" said Dais. "He's my friend! Did I just say that out loud?"  
  
"Dais, never mind, just MOVE!" said Anubis. He and the other Ronins began to move towards the spot where they sensed Kento. Rowen looked behind him and saw Kayura running to catch up.  
  
"Kayura, why aren't you in-"  
  
"I can't, but I want to help!" she said.  
  
Rowen shook his head. He'd ask later. Instead, he grabbed her up and ran with her in his arms. Kayura clung tightly to him, sensing that her love would be separated from her very shortly.  
  
"Hey! What is this thing!?"  
  
"Kento!" Ryo cried. The group reached a clearing to see nine platforms made of a deep black stone. Kento's ankles were chained down to one of them. The Ronin of Hardrock was also in subarmor. He struggled to free himself from his binds, but his nine captors laughed at his fruitless attempts.  
  
"Deep sleep, deep freeze, deep dreams," said Theodore. Kento suddenly stood up and screamed as a coat of ice began to rapidly cover his body.  
  
"Help! Ryo, get me out of here! I don't wanna be a Popsicle! Ryo, help me!" Before Ryo could get to his desperate friend, Kento was completely encased in the ice.  
  
"KENTO!" Ryo screamed, banging his fists against the ice. It was no use. He could barely even see Kento's form through the dark ice.  
  
"You're next," said Badamon a he shot energy at Ryo. Ryo appeared on another of the platforms, also chained to it and out of his armor. He struggled to break free, but he joined the same fate as Kento.  
  
"What do we do?!" asked Anubis, right before he was zapped onto a platform as well.  
  
Kayura screamed and called apon the Ancient's Staff. Her, condition, would not hinder her ability to use the staff.  
  
Or could it?  
  
She threw the Staff at Anubis, but the ice was too fast. The remaining Ronins and former Warlords looked at the three ice statues in horror.  
  
"Oh man, now what?" asked Rowen. Before anyone could answer, all six of them were transferred to the platforms.  
  
"NO!" yelled Kayura, throwing the Staff at Rowen's ice. She was able to make it, but the ice did not stop. It just slowed down. She ran over to Rowen's side, hugging him tightly (the ice was only knee high and moving VERY, VERY, slowly) and crying into his subarmored shoulder.  
  
"Kayura, you've got to get us out of this ice. Why won't the Magic Staff work?" asked Rowen.  
  
Kayura looked up at him and brushed the forelock out of his eyes. "I, I can't."  
  
"Why not? You have to!" said Rowen. "The fate of humanity could depend on it!"  
  
"I know that, but I can't do anything right now. Because of my condition," she said.  
  
Rowen put his hands on her shoulders. "Condition? Kayura, are you sick?"  
  
"No, it's not an illness," she said, taking one of his hands and placing it on her stomach. "I'm pregnant."  
  
Rowen's eyes began to water. "Oh my God, Kayura, I, I'm sorry, I didn't-"  
  
Kayura hushed him. "I know it wasn't your fault, my love, but there's nothing we can do about it. This ice takes nearly a thousand years to melt, but there are still procedures to be taken. I will perform them. In 915 years form now, myself and the baby will be here waiting for you. Because of my immortality it's going to take nine hundred years before I can give birth. I promise I'll take care of myself and our daughter."  
  
"How, how can you-"  
  
"Women's intuition, and a little magic," said Kayura. "Before, you're gone, help me pick out a name, please."  
  
"I, I had a twin sister, but she died shortly after we were born. Her name was Karissa," he said.  
  
"Then our baby will be named Karissa," said Kayura, lightly touching Rowen's face. By now the ice was at hip-length. "Please, just kiss me once more." Rowen took her gently and kissed her softly, tears rolling down his cheeks as he did so. He could taste Kayura's tears as well. If he was encased in ice, 915 years wouldn't be too bad for him, but Kayura, she was going to spend the next 900 years pregnant and at that, without him.  
  
"I will always love you, no matter what, and I'll be waiting for you," said Rowen after breaking away from her. "Kayura, you're going to hate me for this, but I want you to go. I don't want you see me before the ice takes me completely."  
  
"I, I understand," she said, the tears flowing more than before.  
  
Rowen took off his headband. "Here, take this. Give this to Karissa if something happens to you so I can protect her and know who she is."  
  
Kayura nodded, holding the headband to her breasts. She gave Rowen one final look, then, after grabbing the Staff, ran off into the woods. Once the Staff was gone, Rowen could feel the ice pick up speed, and held his head high as the ice covered him completely. 


	3. Karissa

Frozen in Time  
  
By Pathfinder  
  
1 Episode Three: Karissa  
  
900 years later. . .  
  
"AHHHHHHH!" screamed Kayura as she lay in her bed.  
  
"Breath, Kayura, breath!" screamed Mya, Mia's great-great-great-great-great- . . . you get the idea- granddaughter. Finally, after the nine hundred year gestation period for immortals, Kayura was having her baby. And she was NOT enjoying herself one, little, bit. Random thoughts began to run through her mind, especially a very ANGRY thought directed on particular blue-haired Ronin Warrior.  
  
"Damn, you, Rowen!" screamed Kayura. She'd like to see HIM try to push something the size of a watermelon out of a hole the size of a penny. Yes, that would be very entertaining indeed, after going through this! Now that I think about it, maybe exploring in Mia's house wasn't such a hot idea after all. . . well, at least going into Rowen's room and bothering him like I did, although it was nice while it lasted. I wish he could be here. When Kayura first found out about the baby, she realized she'd either have to make Rowen immortal or find a way to lower the gestation to nine months like a normal human. Making Rowen immortal would be easier, though. All she had wanted was for him to be there with her. She was ready to cry when she thought about him trapped in that wretched black ice. Of course she had other things to worry about at the moment.  
  
"She's got a head, there's an arm, there's another arm- come on, Kayura, you can do it, just keep pushing, she's almost out-"  
  
"ARGHHHHHHHH!"  
  
"And she's out!" announced Mya. "Now, for the afterbirth."  
  
"What do you mean afterbirth?!" asked Kayura, who was lying down to try and regain the strength she'd lost while giving birth.  
  
"There's a mass of blood and birth goo that has to come out," said Mya.  
  
"Fun," wheezed Kayura.  
  
After finishing the birth-goo stage, Kayura held the now washed up and umbilical cord free Karissa. She lightly stroked her daughter's head. "Hello, Karissa. I'm Mommy," she said. "If you're looking for your daddy, he, he can't be with us right now. You have to wait fifteen years, but me; I had to wait nine hundred years, plus your fifteen. Someday soon you'll meet him. And I know you'll like him."  
  
Karissa gurgled and opened her eyes. Kayura saw Rowen's pale indigo eyes staring back at her. "You have your father's eyes," she said. "I wish he could see you now. He'd be so proud." Kayura closed her eyes, reminiscing the past. Sometimes, she wondered if it was all worthwhile. Could this cursed black ice had been avoided if she and Warlords had found some other way to entertain themselves? But then Karissa might've not been born. Even though she was just an hour old, Kayura could still feel the motherly bond beginning to form. She and Rowen had created a small child, a new life form, and it was her responsibility to take care of her.  
  
5 years later. . .  
  
"Mommy!" scared little Karissa as she jumped into her mother's waiting arms. Kayura laughed as she looked at her daughter. Her hair was deep blue, a perfect blend of hers and Rowen's hair, cut just bellow her chin. Karissa looked just like Kayura when she was younger.  
  
"Yes, sweetie?" asked Kayura.  
  
"Look!" she said, and used telekinesis to bring a ball over to her. Kayura smiled. She was learning the ways of the Ancient's clan quickly.  
  
KA-BOOM!  
  
"Mommy!" said Karissa, hiding behind her mother. Kayura called apon the Ancient's Staff, then concentrated and Rowen's old headband materialized in her hands. She placed the headband on her daughter. "Go to Mya. Give her these envelopes. The one in the pink envelope is for her, the one in the blue is for a man with blue hair named Rowen. In ten years, if I don't come back, find him and his friends. They will protect you."  
  
"But-"  
  
"GO!" ordered Kayura and Karissa rushed off to find Mya's underground apartment. Ever since the Ronins had been frozen in the black ice, the world had been over run by Shogun's monsters. Kayura had been able to defeat the Nether Warlords early on, but after her pregnancy began to envelop, she had to give the staff to young Yuli, who was eighteen at the time. His descendants held the staff for the nine hundred years it took for Kayura's baby to be born. Kayura, Karissa, White Blaze (Who was still alive and waiting patiently to be reunited with his pet human Ryo), Yamato (Yuli's most recent descendant, who was 17), and Mya were what appeared to be the last force to stand against Shogun, who STILL hadn't been defeated. They desperately needed the Ronin Warriors. Could the world last another ten years?  
  
Kayura stood to face Shogun. Shogun was a dark, evil man with blood red hair and a pale white mask over his face. He wore a thick armor similar to Talpa's but unlike Talpa's, it was not magical. "So, Lady Kayura, you dare challenge me after nine-hundred years of exile?"  
  
"Your doom lies with this staff and the return of the Ronin Warriors," said Kayura.  
  
"No, I have sent many guards to destroy their tombs of ice, Kayura."  
  
"And I put a field of sacred protection around the Ronins."  
  
"What!? You ruined. . . I'll fix your wagon, little missy! May the Ancient's clan die in VAIN!" he said, delivering a devastating blow to Kayura. She fell to the ground, knowing that her hours were numbered. Shogun laughed and left.  
  
"Growl!"  
  
"White, Blaze," said Kayura as the great white tiger leapt over to her. Yamato, Mya, and Karissa shortly joined her.  
  
"Kay!" said Yamato. He and Karissa each took a side.  
  
"Mommy, don't die!" said Karissa, who still wore Rowen's headband.  
  
Kayura reached up to touch her daughter's face. "Karissa, you are very beautiful. You will grow up to be even more beautiful. I must leave you now, my wound is fatal. I love you very much, and when you are of age, you will take the Ancient's Staff. NEVER remove that headband unless your father does first." Kayura turned to Yamato. "Your father trained you to take the Staff. You must use that skill once again, Yamato. Complete my daughter's training. When she is ten, give her the staff."  
  
"I understand, Kayura," said Yamato, bowing respectfully to the dying girl (Note: Kayura aged to be about fourteen to make her birth easier on her).  
  
"Mya," said Kayura. Mya had teary eyes. "Take care of my daughter. Please. The pink letter will explain Karissa's heritage and her father to you. The blue letter is not to be opened by anyone but Rowen of the Strata."  
  
"Yes, Kayura," said Mya through her tears.  
  
Kayura turned to Yamato one last time. "In ten years, take Kayura to the ground that I sanctioned to protect the Ronins. She will know what to do from there," she said. Finally, with her last strength, she turned to her daughter. "My baby, good bye. I love you-" Kayura's eyes closed.  
  
"No…Mamma…"  
  
5 years after Kayura's death. . .  
  
Karissa fought furiously with Yamato, the sparring match going well. Before she gained the staff, she had to pass this training procedure to prove she was a worthy priestess, monk, and warrior. So Yamato was in his twenties and she was ten, she had him nearly defeated.  
  
"YA!" cried Karissa, forcing Yamato to his knees. Yamato smiled as he stood up.  
  
"You've done well, Karissa," he said. He concentrated and the Ancient's Staff appeared in his hands. "You've earned it. Come, I must show you something." Yamato walked off, and Karissa wondered if Yamato was going to give her a treat.  
  
"Is it ice cream?" she asked curiously.  
  
Yamato laughed. "Not quite, but, yeah, I can get you a cone. This, I think you'll find it much more important."  
  
"Aw, important stuff is always boring!" said Karissa as she trudged along through the woods. She looks down to see a daisy growing in the woods. Daisies and other flowers were rare, so she concentrated, cloned it, and placed the clone in her hair.  
  
Yamato had led her to a big, gold, bubble. Well, the top half of a bubble. "Use the staff to unlock the bubble, but when we leave you have to put the bubble back up," said Yamato. Karissa nodded and placed the Ancient's Staff in a space. The bubble disappeared and she saw a clearing with nine multi- colored pedestals, all with a pillar of black ice on top of them.  
  
"What is this place?" asked Karissa.  
  
"Nine hundred ten years ago, this world was protected by the Ronin Warriors. Shogun froze them all in this ice. It will be ready to melt in five years, which is when we'll be returning. The one called Rowen of the Strata is supposedly your father."  
  
"My. . . father?" she said. "But I've never had a father before!" Karissa then remembered before her mother's final moments, she had mentioned a blue- haired man named Rowen. Could that be why she named him?  
  
"Yes," said Yamato. "Your father may be Rowen of the Strata, but it's not certain. Mya will be able to tell that one. She was your mother's most trusted friend from the Koji family line."  
  
"Oh," said Karissa. "Five years is a long time. I bet they're all itching to get out."  
  
"They're all in a deep sleep and can't be awakened until five years from now. The procedure involves the Staff, but I don't quite remember the whole thing. Of course, it is written somewhere, but I'm not sure where it is. I believe the procedure was recorded on Mia Koji's computer soon after they were frozen, but no one knows where it is. There are rumors it's in the wreckage of Mia's old mansion, but-"  
  
"Well then let's go there!" said Karissa, dragging Yamato out of the grounds so she could re-seal it. "Where is it?"  
  
"That way," said Yamato.  
  
Mia's old mansion was still erect after all those years. Now to find the old computer. Karissa and Yamato carefully opened the door. The inside was filled with cobwebs and dust. Karissa found an old picture frame and saw five boys she didn't recognize, one small boy who resembled Yamato, and a woman who resembled Mya. "The five boys are the Ronin Warriors."  
  
"I thought there were nine," said Karissa. "And who're the other people?"  
  
"Mia Koji and my ancestor, Yuli," replied Yamato. "The last four are former Dark Warlords and aren't usually considered full Ronins."  
  
"Oh," she said, putting down the picture. They began to search the house and found many ancient toys, books, music devices called CDs, and finally, a computer room.  
  
Yamato worked with the computer and finally managed to turn it on. The two began to work quietly and found the files they needed. Karissa flipped on the printer and printed the file on paper they'd brought with them. Stuffing the papers into her kimono, the two left the old house.  
  
Mya was furious when she discovered that Yamato had brought Karissa to her ancestor's house. "YOU IDIOT! YOU COULD'VE BEEN KILLED!"  
  
"We ran into no trouble," replied Yamato. "Why are you so mad?"  
  
"Because there are rumors that there are Nether Warlords living there!" said Mya.  
  
"Didn't they all die?" asked Karissa, wide eyed with shock.  
  
Mya sighed heavily. "Sadly, no. Badamon remains alive. At this point, I assume that he has drained the powers of his fallen comrades to survive."  
  
"That's cruel," said Karissa.  
  
"They were destroyed at your mother's hands, and they were cruel to the people of this world."  
  
Karissa nodded. She'd been to the underground metropolis near their apartment. That's where the free rebels lived. There were other colonies in other parts of the world, but this was the Japanese one. People called it "Sub Tokyo", after the old capital of Ancient Japan. Of course to the Ronin Warriors it wouldn't be so much old, they probably didn't realize how much time had passed. The Warlords, maybe, but the Ronins were young at the time. Mya told her that the youngest Ronin was just barely16 years old. The oldest (her supposed father) was 17. Karissa frowned. They'd never see their family again, their non-Ronin friends, their high-school graduations, favorite pets (Well, except for whoever owned White Blaze), nothing of their old lives. They may even be devastated to see Mia's old mansion, is Yamato took them there. The aspect of them now being close to a thousand years old may shock them as well. It wouldn't be bad for the Warlords, seeing as they really only had each other and her mother as friends, and they were already will over 400 when they were frozen. Karissa assumed them to be like her mother. Old, but still young-looking.  
  
Karissa sighed heavily. She had much to do in the coming five years. Then, maybe shed' be able to meet her father. . .  
  
If her mother was right. . . 


	4. Awakening

Frozen in Time

By Pathfinder

Episode Four: Awakening_Five years after Karissa earned the Staff. . ._

_It's. . . so cold, wh, where, where am I? _Rowen thought to himself. His brain was in some short of shutdown and he was having trouble remembering what happened. He tried to move, but found even blinking an impossibility. His muscles ached from a lack of use. It felt as if he'd been standing still for almost a thousand years.

_Kayura. . . the ice. . . the baby. . . DEAR LORD! I'M A FATHER! _Rowen thought to himself. If he was awake and his muscles were this stiff, could the time have passed? Would Kayura be freeing him and the others from their icy prisons?

Suddenly, he felt a strange warmth begin to penetrate through the ice. _Kayura. . . you've finally come. . . I'm sorry I couldn't be with you and the baby. . . I'm so sorry. . . _were the thoughts running through his heads. Finally, he could feel his limp body free and fell over, a few shards of ice frozen to his hair. His lips were shivering and he knew he was probably paler than usual. He looked up, but he couldn't tell who had caught him. All he knew is that it WASN'T Kayura.

Rowen closed his eyes before he could try to figure out who it was. . .

Meanwhile, back at Mya's place. . .

Karissa yawned and stretched. Morning. Although she couldn't see the light of the sun, she knew what time of day it was. She just knew these kind of things, especially after taking the Staff of the Ancient One. Karissa was now fifteen years old.

Mya stood in the kitchen preparing breakfast. Yamato was asleep on the couch as Karissa entered the dinning room clad in the robes her mother always used to wear. Her mother. . . Karissa found the memories were getting further and further away from her. . but why? She desperately wanted to remember her mother more clearly, but found that no matter how hard she tried, she could not.

The Staff began to glow and Mya smiled. "Finally, they can be awaken. Yamato!" Yamato yawned from his place on the couch and staggered towards Mya. "Go get dressed, the armors are ready to be reawakened."

Karissa happily skipped through the woods. So what if she was fifteen years old, she still liked skipping, and she felt joyous knowing that one of these men could be her father, and she was even MORE excited that at least eight of them were single. She smiled; she enjoyed the thought of eight single men. Well, actually, if Yamato was right and one of them was her father, then they'd all be single, but, he would be her father.

Karissa gasped as she entered the field. "Yamato-kun! One of the ice blocks is missing!" Sure enough, one of the nine pedestals was lacking a block of black ice (Pathfinder: Tongue twister!).

Yamato gasped. "You're kidding! That's impossible!"

"Shogun!" screamed Karissa. "That son of a-"

"Karissa! What have I told you about swearing?" asked Mya.

"What's more important, a cuss word or the fact that Shogun has one of the Ronins or Warlords locked up somewhere? What if it's the one who's my father?" said Karissa, sensing the tears flowing from her eyes.

Karissa looked over to one of the blocks of ice. It was glowing a bright red color. Yamato blinked. "Looks like Wildfire's defrosting himself." Sure enough, the ice broke and a boy in red and white subarmor fell over onto his knees, gasping and choking for air.

"Cold. . . so cold. . .cough hack way too cold. . ."

"Mya, get him one of those blankets and a cup of tea, pronto!" said Yamato. "Karissa, you know what to do."

Karissa walked over to the closest ice and placed the staff in front. She began to chant and the ice cracked, revealing a tall blonde young man in green and white. _Ooo la, la! What a hot ticket! Thank GOD he's not my dad. . ._ Karissa caught the young man as he legs gave way.

The young man opened his eyes. "Kayura?"

"No, sorry, I'm Karissa, the new last of the Ancient's Clan. Uh, long story, I gotta go help your friends. Yamato! Take this guy over to the warm up station!" said Karissa, dubbing the tree Wildfire sat up against the "warm-up station".

Mya fingered the blue letter. She'd told Karissa her father was indeed Rowen of the Strata a year ago, which was in accordance to Kayura's pink letter. The blue letter, she assumed, was one final love letter to the man who had fathered her child. She wondered who the missing person was, and sincerely hoped it wasn't this Rowen person. Shogun would easily have a hold on Karissa. She desperately wanted to meet her father.

Karissa dragged over a man with green hair, purple eyelids, and brown subarmor. "Here's another one," she said, then rushed over to free the next Ronin/Warlord. Yamato was taking care of Halo, getting him to take in some of the hot tea. Wildfire, who was now somewhat stable, went to help with the one in brown. Mya guessed that this one was Venom, especially after his eyes flashed open to reveal two very serpent like eyes.

Five minutes later, Karissa came over with Torrent, who had deep auburn hair and was smaller than the other three had been. Mya guessed that he wasn't from anywhere near Japan, possibly England before Shogun had it destroyed. Maybe America? It was hard to tell. Nor did it matter. He seemed to be taking it fairly well, considering that his element was related to ice.

"Ahh. . . I needed that," said a voice with a bit of a raspy lisp. Mya and Yamato looked up to see a scared man in red (and pink) subarmor with blue hair stretching his arms. Karissa looked surprised at the man, then shook her head. "Hey! Who are you? You look like Kayura but you're not Kayura! Who are you?"

"Karissa, daughter of Lady Kayura," said Karissa.

"Daughter? Who scored on Kayura?" asked Cale.

"You really are from nine-hundred years back, aren't you-" Karissa started.

"NINE HUNDRED YEARS?" came the panic-stricken voice of Wildfire. "We've been in that ice for NINE HUNDRED FLIPPIN' YEARS!"

"Yes," replied Karissa. "Enjoy the nap?"

"Oh man. . . yes! I don't have to take that test with Senshi Yamaguchi!" said Wildfire. "She's DEAD!"

"Roar!"

Wildfire looked over to see White Blaze bounding over. "White Blaze! Good too see you boy!" White Blaze knocked over Wildfire and began to lick his old master. "Hey, cut it out!"

Karissa smiled and went to the next ice.

A little over an hour later, everyone was out, but much to her disappointment and worry, Strata was the missing Ronin. Her father.

They brought the group back to the Mya's apartment, where everyone sat in on the floor of the living room. After getting to know everyone's name, they began to ask her questions of what had happened during their long sleep.

"So the Nether Spirits came from Badamon's leftovers?" said the one called Kento.

"In a way, yes," said Karissa. "My mother destroyed them all, though, except for Badamon II."

"Who was your mother?" asked Cye of the Torrent.

"Lady Kayura."

"I could've told you that!" said Cale.

"YOU slept with Kayura?" said Anubis, looking ready to kill.

"No way!" said Cale. "She's not my type!"

"It was Rowen of the Strata," said Karissa. "That's why I'm so worried about his absence-"

"Heh, go Rowen," said Ryo. Karissa whacked Ryo with the Staff. "Ow!"

"You deserved that. Do NOT speak of my mother like again!" said Karissa, looking deeply offended.

"Then how do you have his headband?" asked Sehkment of Venom.

Karissa took the headband. "Before the ice enclosed the last of you, my mother slowed down the ice of my father to tell him of my coming existence. My mother told him I was to be a girl and asked him to name me. He gave the name Karissa."

"That was the name of his twin sister that died at birth," said Sage.

"Exactly," said Karissa. "He gave my mother this headband so that if something were to happen to her than my father would know who I am and protect me."

Cye wiped a tear from his eyes. "That's so sad!"

"Wimp," said Cale, who got a punch in the stomach from Kento.

"Do NOT call Cye a wimp! He's my BEST friend, and unless you want to talk to Master Fist-"

SMACK! SMACK!

"Knock it off you two!" said Karissa, backhanding both Kento and Cale. Dais just back further into the corner of the room. "Dais, I'm not mad at you, you don't need to hide from me."

Dais just nodded and started to slowly come out. Karissa smiled. It was nice to know that some of them were shy.

"So now what? We charge in and rescue Rowen or what?" asked Ryo.

Karissa shook her head. "We need a plan first."

"You sure you're Rowen's daughter and not Sage's daughter?" said Kento, getting another smack in the process, this time from Sage.

"You bull-headed idiot!" said Sage. "I always mention a plan because they're something INTELLEGENT to make up!"

"You're mean!" said Kento, rubbing the side of his face. Now both cheeks had red hand marks.

"Let's just settle down and figure out a way to rescue Rowen," said Anubis, Cye agreeing with him.

"But how? Do we even know where Shogun's keeping him?" asked Sehkment.

Karissa sighed. "I just hope he's okay." Her lip began to quiver and Sage jumped to her side, letting her cry on his shoulder.

Rowen awoke feeling somewhat sick to his stomach. He felt tired, queasy, and his vision was swirling around like some sort of an ugly tie-dye T-shirt. When he senses finally returned, he deduced that he had been placed in a tube filled with a thick, green goo that made movement impossible. "Ooblick," said Rowen. Sure enough, he was up to his shoulders in the green starch/water mixture. "Who'd fill a contained with Ooblick and then stick a person inside?"

"Me," said a voice that sounded a little like Talpa. Rowen looked off to the side of his clear glass prison. He gasped as he saw a figure that looked strangely like. . .

"Talpa! It can't be you!" said Rowen, struggling even harder to free himself.

"No, I am not Talpa. I am his brother, Shogun," said the white-masked demon. "I, as you have probably guessed, am working on taking over this pathetic world."

"Not while the Ronin Warriors are around!" said Rowen.

"I hardly think you and your Ronin Warriors pose a challenge. Kayura didn't."

"Kayura. . . where is she? What have you done with her?" Rowen demanded, the fear and worry in his heart beginning to increase.

"Dead," said Shogun. "I killed her."

"No," whispered Rowen, tears beginning to flow from his eyes. He could picture Kayura's sweet smile in the back of his head. He could remember from the time she'd first "abducted" him to the cloud, the battles, after she became good, when she'd woken him up and they made love that one morning, when she told him that she was going to have their baby. Could she really be. . . dead? "You didn't!"

"Yes I did. Now all I have to do is get rid of that brat Karissa-"

"Leave my daughter alone!" yelled Rowen, knowing that Karissa was his daughter and probably his only living relative.

"Ah, so I was right, you are her father," said Shogun.

"Kayura and I decided on the name before I was frozen, you scum," said Rowen, eyeing his love's murderer.

"Now that I have you, the father of the last of the Ancient's clan, she'll most certainly risk her life to save you," said Shogun.

Rowen's eyes widened. "No. . . you, you CAN'T!"

"Yes I can, Rowen of the Strata," said Shogun, "yes I can, and there's nothing you can do to stop me. Once I've got her out of the way, then I'll just have to take the sacred treasures for myself."

"Sacred treasures?" asked Rowen.

"The White Armor, the Nine Mystical Armors, the Soul Swords of Fervor, the Ancient's Staff, and the Jewel of Life," said Shogun.

"What are you gonna use THOSE for?" asked Rowen.

"You'll see in time, Strata, you'll see in time," said Shogun. "Now, how can I make the wait as painful as possible. I know!" Shogun called forth Badamon II and several Nether Spirits. "You all know what to do."

Rowen looked around nervously. The Nether Spirits circled the glass cylinder and began their monotone chants. The Ooblick disappeared from the cylinder and Rowen fell over, his muscles still not used to being able to move about.

His screams could be heard throughout the castle.


End file.
